I'm On Cloud Nine
by RegularShowFan1592
Summary: CJ comes back to the city to see Mordecai, but she doesn't expect a certain intern to catch her eye! This is a oneshot featuring Thomas and CJ. If people like it enough, I'll make it into an actual story with a little Mordecai/Margaret & Rigby/Eileen! :D Rated K for minor adult situations, mild violence & minor cursing.
1. CJ comes back

**Author's Note:** What's up guys! I decided to finally write a Thomas/CJ oneshot! If you guys like this enough, I'll make it into an actual story! :) Enjoy and please follow/favorite/review! :D IF YOU DIDN'T SEE IN THE SUMMARY: If I get 10 reviews and/or 10 follows/favs, I'll continue this!

It was a just a "regular" day in the park, with everyone working hard to make it the best place to be in the city of Twin Peaks. Skips was fixing the cart, again, as Mordecai and Rigby had done one too many donuts and spun out of control into a tree, Benson was busy in his office doing taxes, Pops was drawing while sitting on a bench, Muscle Man and High Five Ghost were in his trailer playing cards, Thomas was raking leaves and finally our favorite slackers were manning the snack bar, bored out of their minds.

Rigby was banging his head on the counter, "I'm...so...freaking...bored!"

"Yeah, there isn't anything exciting happening now is there dude?" Mordecai sighed, resting his head on his hand.

"Hey, so how is Margaret doing at college?" Rigby asked.

"Why do you care?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I was just asking man. I'm _bored_ so we might as well talk about _boring_ people." he snickered.

Mordecai punched him in his side, knocking him to the floor.

"Dude! That's not cool; you know how I feel about Margaret!" he said angrily.

Rigby got back up on his stool, "Okay, sorry! I'm just messing with you bro. So, honestly how is she?"

"She's fine. Working on papers, going to class, cramming for exams, the usual college stuff...not that you would know about any of that." he chuckled.

"SHUT UP!" he whined, pathetically "punching" Mordecai's shoulder.

Mordecai narrowed his eyes, "So, how's Eileen?"

"STOP TALKING! I DON'T LIKE HER LIKE THAT!" he screamed, jumping off the stool and throwing it against the cupboard in the back of the bar.

He grabbed Rigby, pinning him to the ground on his back, "DUDE, CHILL! It's obvious if you act like that when I bring up Eileen, you feel something for her."

Mordecai let him go, picking up the stool so Rigby could sit back down by him. Rigby mumbled something, but Mordecai didn't hear it.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing..."

"Come on, what did you say?"

"I kinda like her okay?"

"Ha! I knew it!" Mordecai smirked.

"Yeah, well don't tell her. I wanted to later when the moment's right!"

Mordecai held his hand up in a fist, "I promise bro."

"Thanks bro." Rigby fist-bumped him.

Down the road, at the entrance to the city, was CJ in her new blue car with yellow lightning blots along the sides. She drove up to the front gate of the park and turned off the engine.

_'Okay CJ, just be cool and calm. He's probably with that chick, Marge or whatever her name is. Just talk to him as friends. Only...friends.'_ she thought, almost crying in anger.

She sighed, wiped her eyes and stepped out, extremely hesitant. She didn't hate Margaret, but got upset a little too easily. In her opinion, she thinks she has gotten better at her jealousy problem. She stepped past the gate, slowly walking over the snack bar. It was then that she caught a glimpse of Mordecai with Rigby. She hid behind a bush, nervously running the situation through her head.

_'He's so sweet. I hope he isn't seeing that girl. Oh God, what am I saying?! That's so selfish of me, and I'm more mature than I was back at the coffee shop! It's been a whole year and I need to move on and just be good friends with him! Okay, let's do this!'_ she sighed.

She stepped out of the bush, walking over to the snack bar. Rigby spotted her walking over as Mordecai was taking a nap.

"Dude. Oh my God." he muttered under his breath.

"Mordecai, wake up!" he yelled, shaking him.

"Huh?! What is it man?!" he stumbled backwards from being shook awake.

"It-it's CJ!" he said waving his arms back and forth in the air.

Mordecai put his hands to his face in shock and began running around in circles, "CJ?! Holy crap! What do I say?! What do I do?! What-"

Rigby stood up on the stool and slapped him, "Calm down dude! It's _just_ CJ! She's probably moved on!"

"Thanks man, I needed that. Okay, I'm ready." he smiled, walking out the side door and to the front of the snack bar.

"HEY CJ!" he waved, walking up to her.

"HI MORDECAI!" she smiled, doing the same.

They shared a quick, friendly handshake, nervously laughing.

"So, how are things?" she asked, looking down at the ground.

"Oh they're great! Same old park, same old freaky things happening around here. Uh, we just recently renovated the snack bar." he replied.

She looked up at it, "Oh cool! It looks awesome. Yeah, awesome..." she cleared her throat.

_'Just ask him and get it off your chest!'_ she thought.

"Um, I hate to bring this up so soon, but how is Margaret?" she winced, waiting for him to blow up in anger.

Mordecai sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "It's fine to ask CJ, it would've come up sooner or later. She's uh...at college. She and I finally broke the-"

Rigby interrupted and yelled from the bar, "FRIENDZOOOOOOOONE!"

"SHUT IT DUDE! So yeah, we became a couple and we went out to eat at this fancy restaurant where I asked her to be my official girlfriend. She said she couldn't because she'd gotten into her 'dream school', which I learned the hard way to respect, and we're, I guess, in a long-distance relationship." he finished, tearing up a little.

"Oh wow Mordecai, I feel _terrible_ for you. I honestly hope things work out for you both!" she smiled sincerely, pulling him into a hug.

While they were hugging, her eyes opened, her jaw dropped and her heart skipped a beat.

She pulled out of the hug and moved past Mordecai, "Who is that?!"

"What?" Mordecai asked, turning around.

He saw what she was pointing at: Thomas.

"Oh, that's Thomas. He's an intern here." he answered.

"Thomas, huh? Is he nice?" she asked.

"He's a cool dude. He pulls his share of work around here and- Wait, are you interested in him?" he teased.

CJ started blushing, "What?! No, no, no!" she waved her arms back and forth.

"Aw come on CJ! He's shy and he could use someone besides us to hang out with. I mean, once you get to know him, he's great!" he smiled.

"I don't know. What does he like?" she asked.

Mordecai pushed her towards him, "Go ask him yourself! Come on, break the ice!"

She nervously walked over to Thomas, while Mordecai walked back into the snack bar.

"What's happening dude?" Rigby asked.

"Oh well CJ and I worked things out and I think she's going to go over and hit on Thomas." he chuckled.

"_Seriously?!_ Hey, you wanna go hide behind the trees and watch what happens?" he laughed.

"Yeah-yuh I do!" he waved his wing in the air.

They sneaked over to some trees nearby Thomas and CJ, peeking through them just as she walked over.

"Hello? Are you Thomas?" she spoke softly, looking him up and down.

"Huh, what do you-" Thomas stopped mid-sentence, nearly dropping his rake.

_'Holy crap, she's freaking hot!'_ he thought, his face reddening while also looking her up and down.

"Uh, yeah, yeah. I'm, uh, T-T-Thomas." he stuttered, sticking out his hand but sweating like crazy.

"I'm Cloudy Jay. But, um, you can just call me CJ for short." she smiled lightly, shaking his hand in return then wiping her hand on her jeans.

Thomas saw her wipe the sweat off her hand and felt so embarrassed! He started to walk off, but she grabbed his arm.

"Wait Thomas, where are you going?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh, uh I-I think I hear Benson, my boss, yelling for me. Sorry." he tried to leave, but CJ held him even tighter.

"Hold up Thomas, let me give you my number! I'd like to talk more with you. Maybe over coffee or something?" she smiled. letting go of his arm.

She expected him to keep walking off, but he turned back around suddenly and was only inches from her face. They both backed up, blushing intensely.

"Uh sure. I'd like that." he replied.

"Do you have anything to write it down on? I forgot my notebook in my car." she chuckled nervously, pulling out her black pen.

Thomas reached into his pockets, finding a crinkled piece of paper, "Sure. Here ya go."

She walked over to one of the booths by the snack bar and smoothed the paper down, she stopped when she saw some fantastic drawings of different stuff around the park: a rose, the park house, some trees and birds and even a self-portrait of Thomas! She quickly wrote down her number on the other side, walking back over to Thomas.

She handed him the paper, "There's my number. Also, you have some _cool_ drawings on the other side! Catch ya later Thomas!" she smiled, waving goodbye.

_'Oh God! I completely forgot I drew those! Well, at least she liked them!'_ he thought, extremely embarrassed for a moment.

"See ya later CJ!" he waved back.

_'CJ...I like that.'_ he smiled, putting the paper back in his pocket.

In the distance, Mordecai and Rigby high-fived each other, happy for Thomas and CJ.


	2. Preparing for the Date

**Author's Note:** Hey people! As you can see, I am going to keep writing this story! Thanks for the reviews and follows/favs. Enjoy and please review/follow/fav! :D Also, A.N means Author's Note.

Thomas woke up the next day, excited for his meeting with CJ. He stretched and tried getting out of his small bed as quietly as possible, as to not disturb his roommate, a human man with brown, shaggy hair and who was wearing a red shirt with blue boxers. Thomas tiptoed past him into the bathroom and took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, then got dressed before exiting the bathroom. He was surprised by his friend sitting out in the cramped dorm room and watching TV.

"Whoa! Wasn't expecting you to be up this early Mike." he said.

"Oh yeah, well I have a stupid exam in thirty minutes for my Physics class." Mike replied.

Thomas stared at him for a few seconds, "Uh, aren't you gonna get up and get ready?"

"Nah I'm good. I might not even go as I'm like, super tired." he said shrugging.

"Yeah...well I'm gonna go. I've got a date!" Thomas said grinning.

"Nice bro! Who is she?" Mike asked.

"A chick named CJ. She seems really nice, and she even liked my drawings dude!" he smiled.

Mike gave him a thumbs-up, "Cool. Have fun Thomas!"

"I will. See ya Mike!" Thomas waved.

Thomas headed down the stairs out to his Mom's red car (A.N: Looks like Muscle Man's car, but nicer).

"Hey mom. I'm really excited for today!" he said, buckling up.

"Oh, and why's that?" she asked.

"Well...I'm going to meet a girl for lunch today!"

"Oh my! That's wonderful Tommy! Is she nice?" she smiled.

Thomas looked out the passenger window, "Mom, I asked you to call me Thomas! I'm an adult now, so no more Tommy alright? And yes Cloudy Jay, or CJ for short, is nice but I just met her though. On a good note, she liked some of my drawings."

"She saw your drawings? How?"

"Well, I gave her a paper to write her number on and I forgot I drew on it." he blushed.

"It's fine Thomas. When I met your father, rest his soul, he had an embarrassing habit of sweating a lot when he was around me out of nervousness. We worked on his confidence and, with the help of some deodorant, he became a better, more social person." she laughed.

_'Huh. So that's why I sweated so much yesterday.'_ he thought.

They pulled up to the park gate, "We're here! I'm heading to work so have a great day...TOMMY!" she yelled out the window and sped off.

Thomas slapped his forehead and yelled down the road, "REALLY MOM?! I SAID IT'S THOMAS NOW!"

Muscle Man walked up, slapping him on the back, "Good morning, TOMMY! HA HA HA!"

_'Ugh!'_ Thomas thought, annoyed.

Meanwhile, CJ was getting ready to see Thomas. She picked out her normal clothes: a white and orange striped tank top and brown jean-shorts. After doing her morning routine, she stopped off at a little bakery to get some food in her stomach. She ordered a blueberry muffin and orange juice and scarfed it down. About an hour later, around noon, she got a text from Thomas.

- Hey CJ! I'm exhausted from work and ready for a break, are you ready to meet me?

- Sure Thomas! I'll head over there now.

- Wait. Can you please drive to the park and we'll go in your car there together?

- Yeah I guess. See you in about ten minutes! :)

- Cool, thanks CJ!

_'I wonder why he wants to meet me at the park? Pfff, I'm not gonna worry about stuff like that, I finally met someone cool!'_ she thought, smiling.

CJ drove to the park, got out of her car and headed past the gate to find Thomas. He was sitting on a bench with a notepad and a pencil, when Mordecai walked up.

"Hey Tommy!" Mordecai chuckled.

"Ugh! Did Muscle Man really tell everyone that?" he sighed.

Mordecai sat down beside him, "Yeah. It's not really that funny though dude. Sorry if I made you mad."

"It's okay." he said.

"So, what're you doing man?" Mordecai asked, looking at the notepad.

"Um, just waiting for CJ to meet me...and working on my drawing skills." he replied.

"Oh really? Let me see..." Mordecai said, taking the notepad from Thomas, "these are pretty good dude! But, not as good as mine when_ I_ was in college." he laughed.

"Yeah thanks." Thomas said sarcastically, yanking the notepad back.

"I'm just joking with you dude! You look like you could have some serious talent drawing. Maybe I could help you sometime with that, but for now, I'm gonna tell you something very important about CJ..." he said, a serious look on his face.

Thomas leaned in, "What is that, Mordecai?"

Mordecai put a wing around his shoulder, "Don't...forget...your...plans!"

Thomas backed away, "What?"

"You weren't here when this happened, but I asked Margaret out when I'd already made plans with CJ and she went freaking CRAZY! I managed to calm her down though, and I thankfully worked things out with Margaret. So yeah, don't forget like I did dude." he sighed.

"I won't man. I think she's awesome, and I hope to ask her something at the coffee shop later. Thanks for the advice though, and hopefully you'll have Margaret back in your life soon!" he smiled.

Mordecai stuck his hand out, "Thank you Thomas. That means a lot dude."

Thomas shook his hand in return, "You're welcome bro. Well I gotta go meet her out by the gate. See ya after lunch Mordecai!"

Mordecai stood up and, before heading back to the leaves he had to rake with Rigby, shouted, "GOOD LUCK THOMAS!"

Thomas ran out to the park gate, spotting CJ waiting for him. His eyes widened when he saw her car.

"Holy crap! That's a cool freaking car!" he shouted.

CJ giggled, "Thanks Thomas! You ready?"

Thomas opened the passenger door, "Yep. I'm starving so let's go!"

CJ got in and spotted his notepad.

_'Hmm. Maybe I should show him some of my sketches as well._' she thought.

They drove off to the coffee shop, ready for their "date".


	3. The Coffee Shop

**Author's Note:** What's up guys! I'm here with chapter 3, Thomas and CJ's "date" (it's kind of a half-date, I mean they're just getting lunch lol)! Enjoy and please follow/favorite/review! :D

CJ pulled up to the parking lot, turning off the engine and stared at the huge coffee cup sign. She had bad memories of this place, especially considering she almost destroyed the shop the last time she was in town. She hesitated to even step out of the car, gripping the keys in her hand tightly. Thomas looked over to her, confused as to why she looked so scared.

He reached over and patted her on the back, "CJ? Are you okay?"

She snapped up and looked at him with a feign smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just-just a lot of funny memories of being back in the city..."

"Oh. Well let's head in, I'm so hungry" he smiled, getting out and walking over to the door to hold it open for her.

"I know this is kinda cliché, but 'ladies first'!" he chuckled.

She giggled, "Oh thank you so much, good sir!"

They walked in down the steps, looking for a place to sit. The shop was unusually quiet that afternoon, with only a handful of customers hanging around.

"Thomas, where do you want to sit? I was thinking of a booth...more private ya know?" she asked, blushing a little.

"Yeah that sounds nice." he agreed.

They found a booth in the back, sitting down and waiting for a waitress.

"Um, do you know if Margaret still works here?" she asked, a look of worry in her eyes.

"Nah. She left for college a while back, as far as I'd heard after Mordecai's whole 'depression' incident." he said awkwardly.

"'Depression'? What do you mean?"

"Well, after Margaret couldn't be his girlfriend, Mordecai went into a deep depression. We got him out of his funk though, and he's moved on from Margaret. Although, he's hoping she comes back on a break from school soon." he explained.

_'Wow. He really cares for her doesn't he?'_ she thought, surprised at what Mordecai went through.

"Can we have a waitress over here please?!" Thomas shouted, getting a little impatient.

On cue, Eileen walked up, notepad at the ready and a smile on her, albeit exhausted, face.

"Hey Thomas! Sorry for the wait, I'm the only one here right now as everyone else left after the huge morning rush we had." she frowned slightly.

"It's cool Eileen. Have you met CJ? She recently arrived back in town." he smiled.

Eileen looked over to CJ, "No, I haven't. Nice to meet you...CJ, is it?" she asked.

"Yeah, CJ is short for Cloudy Jay." she answered.

"Oh. Well I'm Eileen and I'm friends with everyone at the park, but my best friend is Margaret. Do you know her? You'd like her a lot!" she beamed.

CJ started rubbing the back of her neck, nervous to tell Eileen about her past here, "I-I uh-"

Thomas looked at her sadly. He knew that being here bothered her deeply for some reason, so he interrupted, "She's here visiting family! Yeah, her family."

"Cool. So what can I get you two?" she asked, raising her pen to the paper.

"I'll have an orange soda, and a hoagie sandwich with everything on it please." said CJ.

"I'll take a roast beef sandwich with a coffee, and two creams and sugars Eileen." said Thomas.

Eileen wrote down their orders, "All right. I'll have that out in about ten minutes!"

"Thanks!" they said in unison.

"Thanks for covering for me there, Thomas." she sighed.

"You're welcome. What's bothering you about being here CJ?" he asked.

"I-I don't want to talk about it with you just yet. Let's just talk about something else. Um, I saw that you draw?" she said shyly.

Thomas became red, "Uh y-yeah. You said they were 'cool'?"

CJ smiled, "Yeah. I happen to draw too."

"Really? Awesome! We'll have to have like, a drawing competition or something!" he chuckled.

CJ had a weird look on her face, "Uh, sure Thomas."

_'God, that was bad!'_ he thought, mentally slapping himself.

"Do you mind if I look at your notepad?" she asked.

Thomas picked it up from the booth seat, "Sure CJ, here." he handed it to her.

She looked through the drawings, "These are fantastic Thomas! You could be like, a professional artist or something!" she squealed excitedly.

Thomas blushed again, "Thanks CJ! Mordecai mentioned that he could help me too."

She handed him back the notepad, "You'll have to take a look in my notebook at some of the stuff I've done. I've also got stuff besides drawings in there."

"Yeah? Like what?" he asked, seriously interested.

"Well...just some crappy poems." she said looking away and twiddling her thumbs.

"CJ. Don't be embarrassed over that. It shows creativity and passion." he smiled, looking into her eyes.

CJ looked back up at him, "You-you really think I'm creative?"

Just then, Eileen showed up with their food and drinks, "Here ya go guys! Enjoy!"

"Thanks Eileen!" Thomas said.

"Well, let's eat and then I'll look at your work and give you my opinion." he said.

"Sure, I'm pretty hungry after all this chatting!" she laughed.

After eating, Thomas and CJ shared the bill and walked back out to her car. They got in and Thomas went to reach for CJ notebook just as she did: they touched hands for a brief moment, pulling back and laughing while looking away from each other.

"S-sorry!" CJ said, blushing intensely.

"It's ok. Now," he picked up the notebook, "let's see what you've got here." he smirked.

After reading and looking through everything intently, Thomas set down the notebook.

"CJ. This stuff isn't good..." he said with a sad look.

CJ heart stopped for a moment,_ 'He hates it. I'm awful at thinking I could date someone like him.'_ she thought, ready to cry in embarrassment.

Thomas then formed a huge grin, "IT'S AMAZING!" he laughed.

CJ punched him in the shoulder playfully, "You jerk! You had me worried for a second!"

"Seriously CJ: You have great stuff here. Listen, I'm in some classes at college that have helped me a lot. How about I ask my teacher to help you perfect your work? Mordecai's good, but I doubt he has as much talent as my art teacher. Oh and he's a poet too!" he said.

"Whoa! That guy sounds like the perfect tutor!" she grinned.

_'Better ask her now...'_ Thomas thought.

"Um, CJ? I've been thinking. I've had an awesome time with you today and...uh..." he stuttered and started sweating like crazy.

"Yes, Thomas?" she looked into his eyes, which somehow calmed him down.

"Would you like to, I don't know, go...out?" he gasped, barely getting the question out.

"I'd love to Thomas." she smiled softly, then leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Awe-awesome! Well, we'd better get back to the park so I don't get fired." he chuckled.

They drove back in silence with Thomas staring out the window, thoughts of dating CJ filling his head.

"We're back. So when do you want to go out?" she asked.

"Uh...um...how about this Friday after I get out of my late classes?" he said, stumbling over his words again.

CJ just giggled at his nervousness, "Sounds good! See ya then Thomas!" she smiled, driving off to her hotel.

Thomas meanwhile, ran back up to the park house cheering, "I'VE GOT A REAL DATE WITH CJ! WHOOOOOOOOO!"

Mordecai and Rigby saw this both smiling at the sight.

Rigby spoke up, "I give him a half-hour and he blows it."

Mordecai punched him to the ground, "Shut up dude. He needs our support, and I'll give him some tips I learned when hanging with Margaret."

"Oh did I say a half-hour? If you're helping him, he'll last a whole two minutes!" Rigby smirked then busted out laughing.

Mordecai grabbed his rake, "You're so dead man!"

Mordecai began chasing Rigby around, trying to smack him with it.


	4. Mordecai's Dating Tips

**Author's Note:** Hey dudes! I finally back with chapter 4! Let's see how this short filler chapter goes, as I'll probably have trouble coming up with ideas for things they could do or drama stuff. If you guys have any ideas, please PM me! :D

The weekend quickly arrived, but with one more day ahead of Thomas, he wanted to get to Friday evening as soon as possible! He got out of bed and hastily showered then got a breakfast sandwich and some coffee from the coffee shop and ran off to class, not even saying goodbye to Eileen. All he could think about these past few days was his "official" date with CJ...and it was affecting his work, both in and out of the classroom.

"Thomas? Thomas? THOMAS, WAKE UP!" his teacher shouted from the front of the room. (A.N: He's in college, so it's one of those multi-level classrooms where you look down to the teacher.)

Thomas shot up, drool hanging from his mouth, "S-sorry, Mr. Harrison."

"That's better. If I catch you napping again, I'll be forced drop you from my class." he warned, pointing his pencil at Thomas.

Everyone else was snickering around him, but Thomas didn't care; he just wanted today to be over with and meet CJ. Unfortunately, he still had to go to the park and do whatever chores Benson was assigning him today. He actually looked forward to going to his internship as it would give him a chance to talk to Mordecai about relationships, which he sadly didn't have a whole lot of experience with. Suddenly Thomas' watched beeped, meaning his class was over.

_'Thank God! Now I can leave for the park!'_ he thought, heaving a sigh of relief. _'Actually, I think that's the first time I've ever wanted to be at the park than here. I guess I'm just used to all the weird crap that happens there now.'_

Thomas walked out to his Mom's car and hopped in the passenger seat.

"Hey Mom. How are you doing?" he yawned and stretched his arms.

"I'm good son. Why are you so tired?" she asked.

"Oh well I didn't get much sleep last night. Ya know, cramming for tests and...other stuff." he answered, avoiding eye contact.

His mom narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean 'other stuff' Thomas?"

He started sweating, "Uh I-I uh..." he sighed, "I have another date with CJ tonight."

"Oh that's great news honey!" she beamed.

"Yeah, but I'm totally not ready for her! When we went to the coffee shop, we were both really nervous and I barely asked her out! Plus last night and this morning, all I could think about was this date! And-" he said in a panicky tone.

"Thomas, stop for a second! You'll do fine sweetie! Just have confidence...I'm sure Mordecai will help you tremendously." she smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at her and smiled back, "Thanks Mom."

His mom pulled up to park gate, "Well have a good time at work and on your date Thomas. I'm sure you two will hit it off tonight!" she smiled.

Thomas got out of car and waved, "See ya Mom!" He walked over to the park house and opened the door to see Mordecai and Rigby playing a game.

"Hey guys." said Thomas.

Mordecai looked back at him, "Oh hey Thomas! You look beat dude."

"Yeah I didn't get much sleep." he sighed.

Mordecai stood up off the couch, "Are you ready to get some tips from," he put on sunglasses that were on the table, "the master of romance?"

Rigby slapped his forehead, "Thomas, I wouldn't listen to Mordecai bro. He's bad luck with the ladies. Plus this one time he-" he started.

Mordecai put his hand over Rigby's mouth, "Rigby here doesn't know what he's saying man. Just come into the kitchen and I'll give you some advice."

They both walked past Rigby who sighed in annoyance and kept playing the game.

In the kitchen, Mordecai told Thomas to sit at the table while he went to grab something. A few seconds later, he came back with a huge chalkboard like the one they used to teach the caveman with on how to be civilized. Grabbing a piece of chalk, he wrote a few bullet points on dating:

- _Always_ be respectful and polite to your date (pulling out the chair, table manners, etc.).

- Don't do a solid for a friend before the date, _especially_ if it's for Rigby!

- _Always_ pack some mints. ONLY a few, not an entire fanny-pack's worth.

- Try to play it cool and _be yourself_, let your personality shine.

- Finally, expect the unexpected.

"What do you mean by the last tip man?" Thomas asked.

"Well, you know how the park is always attacked by crap?"

"Yeah?"

"It happens to Rigby and I a ton outside the park."

"Yeah, I figured that much knowing you two. Don't worry, I'm used to weird stuff nowadays." he smiled.

Mordecai smiled in return, "Good. Just follow these tips, and I'm sure you'll have a great time with CJ dude."

"Thanks man. I gotta go see what needs to be done today, but I'll be sure to let you know how I do tomorrow night!" Thomas grinned, leaving the kitchen.

Mordecai sat in the chair with his sunglasses on and feet propped up on the table, "I'm so good at this stuff..."

Just then, Benson came in from outside, "Mordecai? MORDECAI?! What are you doing in the kitchen with that chalkboard and lazing about?! Grab Rigby and get back to your jobs or you're both FIRED!" he shouted, nearly throwing his clipboard at him.

Mordecai fell out of his chair onto the floor, "Holy crap! Sorry Benson, I was just giving Thomas tips on dating!"

Benson stopped and read what was on the board, "Wait, you gave him tips?! Hahahaha!" he nearly dropped his clipboard, tearing up from laughing so hard.

"Ugh! Yeah, he wanted advice on his date with CJ. Ya know, Benson, it seems like you might need some tips for Audrey." he smirked, pulling the sunglasses below his eyes.

Benson blushed a little, "...just get back to work Mordecai." he sighed.

Mordecai ran out to the living room and literally pulled Rigby by his arm outside to work, while Benson stared at the board, _'Hmm. Maybe Mordecai is right...'_


	5. IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE NEW YEAR'S EPISODE AHEAD!**

Ok, this will be a long rant and I apologize for the language *sighs*:

Why are they bringing CJ back?! She's an unneeded character that will just ultimately cause drama. This show doesn't need anymore romantic failings of Mordecai. He said he would step up, and he gets stuck with that Tracy chick for the episode until the very end (again, POINTLESS DRAMA). This show needs laughs, or develop the other fucking characters instead of focusing on fucking Mordecai's love life! Why don't they focus on Rigby and Eileen's relationship for fucking once?!

Another thing that pisses me off is: WHY COULDN'T THEY TELL THEY WERE EACH OTHER BEFORE THEY TOOK OFF THE MASKS?! Now, I understand if they were human, but at least recognize the other person's damn voice or feathers or CLOUD FEATURES!

Also, at least Margaret is another damn bird. Cloudy Jay (whoever came up with this name has no creativity BTW) is a cloud. A CLOUD! How the hell would a cloud work in a show full of living things? I mean yeah, Benson is a gumball machine and High Five Ghost is a ghost, but at least they are more interesting than someone who, all that we know of, gets jealous way too easy and had only been in ONE episode before this!

More importantly, if she's gone for THREE FUCKING SEASONS, then why does she show up at a party in the town and didn't have any showings before then?! She's apparently in the same damn town, so she would've seen Mordecai with Margaret! Plus, she must suck ass at dating, as she wasn't with anyone as far as we know for that long.

It would be different and I wouldn't mind if they bumped into each other out in normal life, and maybe went out on a date or two. But no, the writers had to make them KISS 10 damn seconds into seeing each other?! I don't care if they didn't know who they were kissing, WE DID, and that just complicates things with, again, more drama.

One more thing: I DON'T HATE CJ, I just don't see the point of having her in the show with Mordecai. She should be with Thomas, then maybe we could see Thomas develop into someone who does something instead of complaining about being at the park.

I honestly don't think I'll watch Regular Show until Margaret comes back OR if something happens with Rigby and Eileen, because in a preview of the next episode, Mordecai hits CJ with a dodgeball in a tournament and runs out of the gym, embarrassed! What the fuck is that?!

I also don't know if I want to continue "I'm On Cloud Nine". What do you think I should do with this story? I WILL continue my other stories though!

Also, what are your thoughts on the New Year's Episode?

Sorry guys, just needed to vent this out somehow.

Happy New Year!


	6. The Day of the Date

**Author's Note:** What's up people?! I'm finally back with a freaking update to this, as my PC (and this website) has been acting really stupid these past few days! :( Anyways, let's see how Thomas and CJ's first official date goes! I'm EXTREMELY PROUD of this chapter too. Enjoy! :D **UPDATE: **I changed the ending, thanks to an idea from JessieLover. Thank you for the feedback!

The next morning, Thomas was awoken, loudly, by his phone going off on his nightstand. He fumbled for it and hit the "Answer" button. "He-hello?", he yawned, groggily rubbing his eyes.

"Thomas, this is your mother. I'm having car troubles this morning, so you're going to have to hoof it to work today. I'm sorry, sweetie."

"It's alright Mom. Maybe someone else could take me, as the park is a long walk from here. I could be late even if I ran, and I don't want my boss going crazy."

"Okay, honey. Have a good day at work and good luck on your date tonight Tommy!" she finished, hanging up.

"Aw crap. I forgot today is Friday! I'm so stressed out from school..." he groaned, setting his phone down.

He stood up and ran into the bathroom. After getting ready for the workday, he quickly downed some cereal his roommate had left out, and sat down to check his contacts on his cell.

_'Hmm. Now who could I ask to take me? Mordecai? No, he's probably sleeping in, along with Rigby. Pops? Maybe, but he is kind of bizarre. Definitely not Benson, as I don't want to get scolded during the whole car ride. Skips is probably already working, so I shouldn't bother him. That leaves...oh no.'_

He looked in horror at his final contact: Muscle Man.

He decided to try Pops. The jolly old man happily waltzed over to his old-timey telephone and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" Pops cheerily asked.

"Hey Pops. It's me, Thomas."

"Oh! Why good morning Thomas! You sound troubled. What's seems to be the matter?"

"Well, my mom's car broke down this morning and she can't take me to the park. I was wondering if you could?" he asked, then thought, _'Please say 'Yes!'_

"I'm dreadfully sorry Thomas, but I can't. My father took the car for renewal of the plates and repair to it's engine at the automobile establishment."

_'Damn it!'_, he groaned in his mind. "Okay. Thanks anyways, Pops."

"You're welcome, my good man! Have a jolly good day! A-HA-HA-HA!" he laughed.

"Un-huh. You too Pops." he said, awkwardly hanging up.

"Ugh!" he sighed, then hesitantly called Mitch.

Inside his trailer, Muscle Man fell out of his bed onto the floor after his phone started ringing. He picked the handle up from the table and essentially barked into it, "WHO IS CALLING AT THIS HOUR?!"

On the other end, Thomas held the phone away from his ear out of fear of going deaf. He nervously replied, "Uh, Mitch? It's Thomas. I was-"

"THOMAS?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WOKE ME UP?! WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANT?!" he shouted.

Thomas slapped his forehead in annoyance, _'Oh my God...'_ He sighed and spoke, "Look, man: I need someone to pick me up and take me to work, now. No one else is available, so I was hoping you could do it?"

Muscle Man rubbed his chin in thought, "Well, I guess I can pick you up. But you owe me for this, bro."

Thomas smiled, "Thanks so much Mitch. What do I owe you?"

"Oh, it's not right now. You just be ready outside, and when the time comes, I'll let you know what you'll have to do for me." he grinned mischievously.

"Uh, okay? I'll be down in ten minutes."

"Alright bro. See ya soon!" he laughed, slamming the phone down on it's base.

Thomas groaned. He probably wouldn't like what Muscle Man had in mind.

* * *

Across town, CJ was extremely nervous for her date tonight. She paced back and forth in her hotel room, all the while getting ready for the day. She had been looking for a job since being back here for a few weeks, but nothing had panned out. Except for her few friends back in her own hometown, no one in her family really cared about how she was, or what she had accomplished. So, that's one reason why she had such trouble finding someone to be in a relationship with, in addition to handling her anger over something she can't control.

She sat down to catch her breath for a moment and sighed, "At least I found someone who I can relate to, someone who seems alone in this world, needing companionship. Thomas is such a sweet guy...I really hope things work out between us." Then, she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror next to the hotel's TV and smiled, determinedly. "Just be confident, CJ. You can do this. You've finally found a cool guy, so don't screw this up!"

* * *

At the park, Thomas arrived and walked into the house, ready for work. He went up the stairs to Benson's office, when Mordecai came out and bumped into him, knocking him into the wall and to the floor.

"Oh crap! Sorry Thomas." Mordecai said, helping him back up.

"It's cool. I was just going to see Benson. What were you doing in there?"

As if on cue, Benson poked his head out, whispering, "Thanks for the advice Mordecai. If it goes over smoothly with Audrey, you can expect a small pay raise for your help."

Mordecai smiled, "Wow. Thanks Benson! Oh, and Thomas wanted to talk to you."

Benson frowned slightly and said in a deadpan tone, "Oh, really?"

"Um, it's about my date tonight." he said.

Benson sighed and gestured him into his office. Thomas stood in front of him while he sat back down and stared at his paperwork on his desk, "What's the problem?"

"I-I need to take the rest of the day off after my lunch break, sir."

"Why?"

"Um, to get ready...and mentally prepare myself."

Benson looked up at him. He has a similar problem with Audrey, so he actually felt sympathetic towards the intern. Plus, he didn't want to have to go through another depressed employee break up fiasco.

He smiled, "Ya know, Thomas, that's perfectly fine with me. Go ahead and take the whole day off if you want. You've been working harder here lately, so I feel you deserve some time off."

"Are you serious?" he asked, surprised.

Benson just nodded and returned to his work, "Now, get going 'Romeo', or I'll fire you for disobeying your boss."

"Thank you so much Benson!" he grinned.

* * *

Thomas ran down the stairs, stepping in front of Mordecai and Rigby who were sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"Mordecai, I-"

"Dude! Get out of the way! I'm watching my favorite show!" Rigby whined, which Mordecai responded to with a punch. "OW! Fine, I'm going to get some chips!" he grumbled, throwing his hands up.

"What's wrong Thomas?" Mordecai asked.

"Dude, I need your help to prepare for the date. I'll have your tips on a piece of paper, but I need to decide where to go and what to do!" he said, panicking.

Mordecai put his hands up, "Whoa man, just slow down. Take a deep breath, we have all day to get you ready."

Thomas sighed in relief, "Yeah, you're right. What should we worry about first?"

Mordecai thought for a moment, "Hmm. Well, how about going to a movie?"

"Nah. There's nothing out now that's interesting."

"Okay. How about a picnic here in the park?"

"What if it gets attacked or something? That happens like, every week, mostly on Mondays around 6:00 or 7:00 at night."

"Yeah, good point. I never noticed the time we get attacked before..." he then snapped his finger, "Oh! How about a nice restaurant? We'll try to find someplace that's nice, but not too expensive."

"Okay, that sounds perfect man!"

Mordecai sat down, "Good, we've got the tips, the place, now all we need is..." he looked back up at Thomas, "making you into a stud."

"Huh?"

Mordecai jumped up, put on his shades, and put an arm around Thomas, "Don't worry man. I've got you covered with looking cool."

* * *

They headed to the mall, stepping into the only clothing store. Ironically, CJ was there as well in the women's section, looking for a dress to wear.

She held up a blue dress with golden earrings,_ 'Hmm. No, I don't like the colors clashing with my red heels.'_ Then, she tried on a red dress with pink earrings, _'Nope. Too much of a similar color. Ugh! I can't find anything!'_

She then spotted a dark purple dress and paired that with black earrings, "Ooooooh. This is perfect!" she cheered, almost shouting it, which made her blush.

She then bought her clothes and walked out of the mall smiling, _'This will really impress Thomas!'_

* * *

Mordecai sat there, getting a little bored. He got up and knocked on Thomas' changing room, "Dude? What's taking so long? Haven't you worn a tux before?"

Inside, Thomas was having trouble even getting his shirt buttoned! "Um, no. Not since I was little for my aunt's wedding."

Mordecai sighed, "Do you want me to help?"

"No-no I'm good dude! I'll be- AUGH!"

"What happened?!"

"My tux is choking me!"

Mordecai just slapped his forehead and sat back down, "Ugh!"

Suddenly, he heard a woman across the store squeal in excitement. "Hey Thomas? Did you hear that?"

"Yeah? What was it?"

"I don't know...you ready?"

"Yep." he grinned, stepping out of the room. "How do I look?"

Thomas was looking smooth. The tux fit him a little snug, but he was otherwise comfortable.

"Dude...you look awesome!" Mordecai smiled, giving him a high-five.

"Thanks man! Now what?"

"Now, you take these mints I took the liberty of bringing and my tips."

"Oh, I already have the tips. But, I do have another problem."

"What?"

"I...kinda sweat...a lot."

"Oh that's easy! Here, take this super-extra-strength deodorant dude."

Thomas looked at him quizzically, "You carry deodorant with you?"

"No, but I knew you sweat a lot anyways because Muscle Man told us, so I brought it to give you."

Thomas groaned in embarrassment, _'Seriously?!'_

* * *

A few hours later, CJ and Thomas were ready for their date. Thomas sent CJ a text that evening.

- Hi CJ! Is it good if we go out to eat? I was thinking a restaurant?

- Sure! I actually picked out a dress for our date, so that works perfectly! ;)

- Awesome! See ya soon!

They arrived at the restaurant, with Benson allowing Thomas to use his car for the night to get there. When they saw each other before heading inside, their jaws almost simultaneously dropped.

"CJ...you-you look...beautiful." he gasped, choking out the words.

CJ blushed, "Thanks Thomas! You're not too bad looking yourself."

She walked up and put her arm through his, "Shall we head in?"

Thomas almost lost his voice, "Uh, sure! Let's eat!"

They arrived to their table, with Thomas following all of Mordecai's tips to a 'T'. Dinner went very smoothly, with them chatting about life, their artwork and CJ's poems, and past tries at relationships. By the time dinner was over, they were still talking! Thomas and CJ both knew they'd found, without a doubt in their minds, their soulmate. They walked out, hand in hand, to the front of the restaurant.

They stepped off to the side alley, hoping to become more "acquainted".

"Wasn't that salmon amazing Thomas?!" CJ laughed.

"Yeah, but my pasta with that sauce was perfect...like you." he grinned.

She narrowed her eyes, "Oh, how long did that corny line take to surface?"

"Hey, I'm trying! It's not everyday I meet someone like you!" he chuckled.

Thomas pulled out some mints and popped a few in his mouth, "You want a mint?"

She took some in her hand, "Thanks. I feel we'll need these..."

"Oh yeah? Well I-" he was interrupted by a crash further down the alleyway.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Thomas shouted.

Suddenly, a whimpering was heard by them, almost a crying sound.

"I wonder what that is?" CJ asked.

"Maybe it's a kid in danger? I'll check." Thomas offered.

"Shouldn't I go with you?"

"No, just stay here. It could also be a trap, you never know these days..." he ordered, walking past her down the alley.

When he got into the darkness, he saw a small dog, it's leg trapped in the fence. He bent down to try and help, but the dog barked and snapped it's jaw at him.

He stood up and yelled back down the alley, "CJ, COME HERE!"

She ran down the alley, "What is it? What did you-" When she spotted the wounded dog, she gasped and put her hand to her mouth in shock.

"What can we do to help him?" Thomas asked.

"I-I don't know." She thought for a second, "Did you try to pull the fence up and slide his leg out?"

"Yeah, but he snapped and barked at me. I'm kind of weary around dogs."

She looked at him funny, "Even this little cutie?"

"No, but bigger dogs, I'm careful with. When I was little, I had a traumatic experience with my grandpa's hunting dogs. They jumped on me to play, and with me being a toddler, I thought they were trying to hurt me. I guess it stuck with me."

"Aw. I'm sorry Thomas. Well, let's help this one...together." she smiled.

They both reached down to help the puppy. CJ distracted the dog by waving her phone in front of it like a chew toy and making little cooing sounds, while Thomas was able to successfully free it from the fence. When they pulled him out, CJ held him in her arms and they both ran back down the alley.

"What should we do with him?" she asked, stroking his fur.

"Um, ok, set him down," he took off his black tie and wrapped it around the dog's leg, "it should help for a little while."

CJ picked him back up, "Now what? It's late."

"Can you take him back to your hotel?"

"No, they don't allow pets."

"Hmm. Neither does my dorm. That leaves...the park house."

"It seems we don't have any other options."

"Yeah, I'll take him in Benson's car. Just set him in the back so he can sleep."

CJ did as she was told, closing the car door. When she came back, she put her arms around Thomas, pulling him into a hug.

"Thomas, you did great back there. I'm proud of you." she smiled.

"Thanks CJ. You did good, uh, too." he smiled back, but started sweating, again.

"You're really cute when you're nervous." she giggled, looking into his eyes.

"Yeah...I-I think you're cute too. I-"

She stopped him mid-sentence by pulling him into a full-on kiss. It felt better than either of them could've imagined. They were in complete bliss for a good 30 seconds, finally pulling back to catch their breath.

"CJ..."

She put a finger to his lips, "Shhhh. Thomas, you don't need to say anything. I'll see you tomorrow at the park and to check in on the dog. Be safe." she pecked him on the cheek and walked away to her car.

"Al-alright then...I-I guess I'll see you tomorrow CJ!" he stuttered, still in shock from the kiss.

They both got in their cars and went their separate ways, marking a perfect end to a perfect night.


	7. A New Park Member

**Author's Note:** Hey everybody! Here's the next chapter! Let's see what Thomas does with the new puppy and what everyone will think of it's newest member!Enjoy! :D

Later that night, Thomas arrived back to the park house. He parked Benson's car in the driveway, then gently lifted the dog out of the backseat. He tiptoed up the steps, stopping in front of the window to peek inside. The house was completely dark, except for a light shining from the kitchen.

_'Crap. I gotta be extremely quiet.'_

Thomas slid over to the door and slowly turned the handle. He shut it behind him then turned back around. Noises of someone rummaging through the fridge was heard. Thomas peered over into the kitchen and spotted someone he could trust. He walked into the kitchen with the puppy.

He tapped the person on the shoulder, "Hey, Mordecai?"

Mordecai jumped at the sudden contact and spun around, "What?!" He put his hand to his heart, "Oh, oh geez, Thomas! You scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry, dude. What are you doing?"

"I'm getting a snack as I was-" he looked down to the sleeping puppy. "Wait a second...why do you have that dog?"

"Well, CJ and I rescued him outside the restaurant." he replied.

Mordecai smiled, "Really? That's awesome! I bet you seemed pretty heroic to CJ." he smirked. "So, how did the date go?"

"It went perfect! We ate a great dinner and your tips helped so much. We even ended it with this long, romantic kiss!" he grinned.

"That's amazing Thomas! Thanks! But you look pretty exhausted."

"Yeah, I'm tired. But before I go to bed, I need your help..."

"Sure dude, anything you need."

He put his voice to a whisper, "Where can I hide the dog? I don't want Benson finding out, especially right now."

Mordecai rubbed his chin in thought, "Hmm. Well, how about you sleep down here on the couch with him? Everything is down here that you would need."

Thomas hesitated, "Are you sure Benson won't find out?"

He put a hand on Thomas' shoulder reassuringly, "Dude, it's Benson. Just go to sleep and what happens, happens."

"Okay, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow, Mordecai. Night."

"Night, man. I'm gonna make a meatball sub."

Thomas walked out of the kitchen and sat down on the couch, petting the little dog in his lap. He chuckled, "CJ was right. You are pretty cute." He sprawled out onto the couch gently so as to not disturb the puppy. The canine yipped a little, then nestled into his tuxedo.

* * *

The next morning, Thomas was awoken by something wet on his face. He groggily opened his eyes and saw the puppy licking him to get him up.

He got up and sat the dog on the floor, wiping the slobber of himself, "Augh! Darn it..." The puppy cocked his head to the side, looking up at Thomas like he did something wrong. Thomas smiled back at him and rubbed his head, "Aw, I can't stay mad at that face."

The puppy suddenly whimpered. "What's wrong, boy? Are you hungry or something?" It responded by barking and wagging his tiny tongue.

"Hmm. I'll take that as a 'Yes!'. Just let me change out of my tux into some back-up clothes I keep in the closet upstairs, then I'll find you something to eat."

Thomas headed up the steps and walked past Benson's office. Luckily, he was on a phone call with Mr. Mallard, so he didn't see Thomas out in the hallway. Thomas was able to get some clothes and headed into the bathroom to change. He took a quick shower and put his everyday clothes on then put the tuxedo in the laundry basket. He was in the middle of combing his hair, when he heard a voice downstairs.

"WHY IS THERE A DOG IN THE HOUSE?!"

_'Oh no...'_

He bolted down the staircase, stopping when he saw Benson staring down the puppy.

"Benson, you're awake?!"

"Yes, I am! Thomas, do you know about this?"

He stuttered, "I-I uh-"

Benson narrowed his eyes, "I won't have animals inside the park house. It could carry a disease, or fleas, for all you know! Get it out of here, now!"

Mordecai and Rigby heard all the shouting and came downstairs, stopping halfway.

"Dude, Benson, what's going on?" Mordecai yawned.

"Thomas brought this 'thing' into the house. I'm ordering him to remove it! I won't have it spreading a sickness or something dangerous to our employees!"

Mordecai stomped down the steps and stormed up to Benson. He threw his wings up, "Benson, how can you say that?! It's a tiny puppy! The worst it could do is bark at you!" He looked over to Thomas, "Hey, get him something to eat, then give him a bath. I'll handle Benson."

"Oh, you'll 'handle' me?! Mordecai, I don't mind if animals come into the park grounds _outside_, but I refuse to bring them _inside_ a place where people eat and sleep!"

Mordecai pointed his thumb to his short friend, "So? Rigby is here all the time..."

Rigby raised his arms in the air, "Hey!"

Just then, Skips entered the house. "Hey guys I- Whoa, what's going on in here?"

Mordecai spoke up, "Skips, Benson is being completely unreasonable! Thomas brought a puppy to the house and 'Loudmouth' over here is ordering him to remove it!"

Benson grew red with anger, "'Loudmouth'?! Why I'd ought to-"

Skips pushed the two workers away from each other. "Cool it! Benson, go back to your work, I'll talk to Mordecai and Thomas."

Benson sighed, "Ugh! Fine..." He stormed past Rigby who just sat on the steps and watched everything unfold like TV.

"Well, looks like the show's over. I'm going back to bed." Rigby said, scurrying up to the bedroom.

Mordecai sat down with Skips on the couch. "So Skips, why is Benson acting like that?"

"Hold up. Thomas, can you come in here?" he asked, shouting into the kitchen.

Thomas walked in holding the puppy in his grasp. "What's up Skips?"

Skips patted the couch, "Come sit down, I need to explain to you both something about Benson he's kept hidden for a long time."

Thomas did as he was asked. "Is it about the dog?"

Skips nodded, "Yes. When Benson was a kid, his parents didn't allow pets in the house. He wanted a dog so badly, but his parents were allergic to the fur."

Mordecai frowned, "So he takes it out on this little guy? That's messed up man!"

Skips continued, "Not only that, but his dad would yell if he ever tried to bring one indoors. They only allowed him to play outside with animals."

Thomas was wide-eyed. "Wow, I feel bad for Benson dude."

"Look, Thomas, you should go upstairs and stand up for the dog. Bring the dog up and show Benson he's not a threat to anyone."

Thomas smiled, "Thanks Skips."

Skips waved his hand, "No problem boys! Well, I gotta go do my chores for today. See ya!" he grinned, skipping out the door.

"Yeah, and I gotta wake up. I'm gonna make some coffee. You want any Thomas?" Mordecai offered.

"Nah. I gotta bathe him remember?" he declined, heading upstairs with the dog to the bathtub.

* * *

Twenty minutes passed, with Benson calming down a bit. Thomas came up and knocked on the closed office door.

"Who is it?" Benson asked.

"Um, it's me...Thomas."

Benson sighed, "What do you want now?"

"Can I come in please? I need to talk to you."

Benson got up and unlocked his door. "I suppose you- Wait, why do you have that with you?! I told you-"

Thomas pushed past Benson in the room. "Benson, please hear me out! Skips talked to us and-"

"HE WHAT?! What did he say?!" he yelled.

"Quiet! You'll scare the dog! He told us about how you didn't have any pets when you were a kid..."

Benson groaned and fell back into his chair. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, "And how I wanted one a ton, right? How my parents never let me get one?"

"Yes. I'm giving you a chance to have that happiness Benson. Please, at least pet the puppy." he pleaded, putting the dog gently on Benson's lap.

"No! I-I-" Benson stared down at the dog.

"Just pet him, that's all I'm asking."

Benson was hesitant. He slowly reached down and nervously petted the dog across his back, his hand shaking. The dog barked and grinned at Benson, as if he was happy for the gumball machine. He stared back into the puppy's eyes, starting to get a little emotional.

"See? He's harmless dude!" Thomas smiled.

Benson chuckled, "Yeah...I guess he is. Thank you for bringing him in Thomas."

"So?"

Benson looked at him with a confused expression, "So what?"

"Can we keep him here? CJ's hotel doesn't allow pets, and neither does my dorm. This was the only place I could bring him."

Benson looked back down at the puppy. "Well, considering the circumstances...yes, he can stay. I wouldn't want to have to send this guy to the pound or something!"

Thomas shook Benson's hand, "YES! Thanks so much dude!"

"You're welcome, Thomas. Now, I need you to do your chores today outside. Why don't you take the dog with you? He looks like he could use some exercise."

Thomas rushed out the door, actually happy to work for once.

* * *

A few hours later, after everyone in the park had been introduced to it's latest addition, Thomas was sitting on the couch watching TV with Mordecai and Rigby.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. "Hey Rigby, get that will ya?" Mordecai asked.

"Why me?!" he whined.

"Because we're taking care of the puppy right now dude!" he retorted.

Rigby mumbled to himself and slunk over to the door. He opened it to reveal CJ.

"Oh, hey little dude. Do I know you?"

"I'm Rigby, remember? Mordecai's friend?"

She gave him a funny look then replied, "Oh yeah! You like that coffee chick, right?"

Rigby just slapped his forehead, ignoring her question. "Oh please CJ, won't you come in?" he said, with a hint of sarcasm.

She stepped past him and saw Thomas with the dog. "AW! Thomas, you cleaned him up!" she squealed in joy.

Thomas blushed, "Yeah he needed a bath, badly. We had a good day though. Benson allowed us to keep him here for the time being."

"That's great!" she sat down next to Thomas and picked the puppy up, making little baby sounds and scratching his small ears.

Rigby just sighed, "If this gets any more 'cute', I'm gonna barf..."

Mordecai punched Rigby in the arm then hissed at him, "Dude! Be nice! We don't want CJ getting mad, do we?"

Rigby moaned, "Whatever. I'm bored here anyhow."

They looked over at him. "So, what are you gonna do?"

Rigby got defensive and answered in a mocking tone, "I don't know! I guess I'll head over to the coffee shop, maybe!" He stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

"God, what's up with him?" CJ asked.

"Oh, Rigby's probably hungry or something, I wouldn't worry about it." Mordecai replied.

She looked back over to the canine. "Have you thought of any names Thomas?"

Thomas was taken by surprise. "Names? We just found him last night?!"

"Well, he needs a cute name. How about...'Puffball', since he's sooooo soft?!" she grinned.

Thomas looked over at Mordecai for his take on that: He made a gagging motion with his mouth and finger.

"Um, how about something less...uh, gender-based?" Thomas suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, 'Puffball' is too, um, feminine for my tastes. I was thinking of something simple." he laughed nervously.

"Un-huh..." CJ said, a little annoyed. "Like what?"

"Well, we could use our initials. I thought 'TJ' would be nice."

CJ smiled, "That's a great idea Thomas! I like 'TJ'." She brought the puppy up to her nose and wiggled it at him. "Do you like that name? Huh? Do you like, 'TJ'?"

TJ licked her face in response and barked happily.

She grinned, "'That's definitely a 'Yes'!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Rigby trudged over to the coffee shop. He came in the door, making the bell ring which told Eileen that he'd arrived. She looked up from washing the glass display windows and had a cheesy smile plastered on her face, since she figured he came here just to see her.

"Hey Rigby!" she waved.

"Oh, hey Eileen. Can I get a coffee and a jelly donut please?"

"Sure! I'll have that out in a few." she replied, darting behind the counter.

A few minutes later, Eileen came out and set the order down where Mordecai and Rigby usually sit, but Rigby wasn't there.

"I'm over here, Eileen." he said, motioning her towards a booth in the back.

"Why are you sitting here, Rigby? You always sit at that table."

Rigby looked up to her, "I know..."

She frowned, "I can tell something is wrong. What's bothering you?" she asked, sitting across from him.

Rigby sighed and rested his chin on his hand, "Oh, Thomas and CJ got a puppy."

Eileen was confused, "So why is that bad? That's great news!"

"Well, you're gonna think I'm stupid for this, but-"

Eileen interrupted, "Rigby, I never think you're stupid, ever. You've got a lot of knowledge tucked away in there." she said, pointing to his head.

Rigby smiled back, "Really? Thanks, Eileen. That means a lot, coming from someone as hot-" he instantly blushed, "I-I mean, as smart as you!"

Eileen just giggled like a kid. "You're welcome."

"Anyways, I was kinda annoyed that they were paying more attention to the puppy than me today." he explained.

Eileen sighed, "Rigby, you know that's really mean and selfish of you to say that."

"Yeah, I guess. I'm not used to being ignored though..at least not since I was a kid. It feels like I'm gonna relive being with Don all over again."

"Hmm. Well, you can take comfort in the fact that I'm here. And I'd never ignore you."

"Yeah, I suppose you always seem to want to listen to me. I never really noticed that until now."

A few seconds of awkward silence went by, stopped by Rigby's stomach growling. "Boy, I'm hungry! Might as well take a big bite."

He bit hard into the edge of the donut, and inadvertently caused the slimy purple goop to splash onto Eileen, covering her face in it!

She shrieked in horror at the sticky substance.

"Holy crap! Eileen, I'm so sorry!" he panicked.

"It's fine Rigby, I'll just use the sink in the girl's room." she said, standing up.

Rigby stopped her, "No, it's my fault! Here, let me have your glasses."

She took them off and handed them to the bumbling raccoon. He ran into the boy's room and washed them off, trying his best to clean them. He then took some towels and wetted them, then ran back out to Eileen. He hastily smashed the wet towels onto her face.

She spat at him, "Rigby! What the-" he smashed more towels on her, "-heck are you doing?!"

"I'm trying to clean you off! It's my mistake and I need to make up for it!" he shouted.

He finished, handing her back her glasses. "Here! Again, I'm sorry!"

She prepared to yell at him, but saw Rigby was extremely embarrassed at his actions. She took the glasses and put them back on.

"Rigby, it's okay. It was just an accident..."

"NO! I'm so clumsy and such an idiot! Now I know you'll never wanna date me!" he yelled aloud, not realizing it.

Eileen's heart started racing, "What? What did you just say?"

Rigby blushed intensely this time, "Nothing! I didn't say anything!" he tried to lie, turning away from her.

She stood up and walked over to the cash register, then back to him.

"Well, here's your receipt. I'm heading out for the night as my shift is pretty much over. See ya later, Rigby." she said nonchalantly, walking out the door.

Rigby sighed and examined the scrap of paper. He saw that the total was zero dollars and there was something written on the bottom along with a phone number.

**'The order is on the house. But next time we meet, you'll be paying... ;)'**

Rigby grinned and pumped his fist, "Yeah!"


End file.
